The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life.

A 180-degree view of the brand new amphitheatre and basketball court in Delmas 32, a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It's part of PADF’s Urban Project for Participatory Development program (PRODEPUR), financed by the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank in partnership with Haiti’s Bureau of Monetization of Development Aid Programs (BMPAD).

Thousands of residents of coastal Belize are better prepared for extreme weather and the effects of climate change after a yearlong program funded by Taiwan and implemented by PADF. Through the Community Preparedness and Resilience initiative, launched in July 2015, PADF assisted over 14,000 residents of Belize’s Stann Creek District in preparing for and responding to disasters.

PADF and partners are on the ground in Haiti providing clean water and emergency food kits to families affected by Hurricane Matthew. Here, our staff is loading supply trucks for delivery in Southwest.

In the days following the hurricane, thousands of people will need emergency relief supplies and access to clean water and sanitation in order to prevent the outbreak of bacterial diseases like cholera and water-borne illnesses. Logistics support, including transportation and the clearing of roadways, will also be an urgent priority. PADF plans to conduct a needs assessment as soon as conditions improve on the ground. This will inform both the emergency response for immediate priority needs and plans for medium- to long-term recovery.

The Pan American Development Foundation through its Resistance and Prevention Program has organised a five day workshop to train local facilitators on effective crime prevention strategies. Members of the Judiciary, which include Magistrates, Police Officers, Prisons Officers, Defence Force Personnel, School Supervisors, Youth Development Officers and Personnel from the Office of Law Enforcement Policy will be participating in the workshop.

On#‎WorldHumanitarianDay‬, we send a special thank you to our amazing staff working in the field. Each year hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions cause extensive damage in Latin America and the Caribbean. PADF works with communities, governments, and private sector partners to mitigate the impact of these events, respond to emergencies when they occur and carry out disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction programs to help communities recover.

On International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we recognize the importance and of Afro-descendants and indigenous people across the Americas. PADF understand the challenges these communities face and uses innovative approaches to strengthen the capacity of local organizations in order to fight discrimination, protect human rights, advocate and enhance participation in the democratic process.

Residents of Labadie Village on the north coast of Haiti now have access to clean water and improved sanitation, thanks to a partnership between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF).

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) received a donation from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to support the rehabilitation of a community clinic in Crooked Island, Bahamas, that sustained severe damage in October 2015 due to Hurricane Joaquin.

PADF is joining forces with Mexican actress and singer Maite Perroni to combat child trafficking globally. More than 168 million children and youth between the ages of 5-17 years of age are affected by labor exploitation, and most do not complete secondary education.

More than 14,000 residents of Stann Creek benefited from a one year Taiwan funded initiative on Community Preparedness and Resilience. The program was led by the Pan American Development Foundation in partnership with the Government of Taiwan and Belize.

Myrtha Vilbon, the owner of Glory Industries, shows off the first company to manufacture toilet paper in Haiti. She’ll be among four Haitian entrepreneurs attending the Global Entrepreneurial Summit at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, with President Barack Obama. (Jacqueline Charles | jcharles@miamiherald.com)